Thames Water has now set up a bottled water station at B&Q in Eltham for "essential use" after many residents in postcodes SE9 and BR7 have suffered without water or with low pressure for more than 24 hours.

The delay in the decision to begin providing bottled water has been described as an “absolute joke” by a parent whose son has a disability and requires water for both feeding and medication.

Thames Water has confirmed that problems have been reported in two postcodes and has said that the issue is due to a burst water pipe in Footscray Road, outside the Roots4Life charity.

A New Eltham dad told the News Shopper that the situation has been frustrating for him as water is essential in his household as he has a two-year-old son with a rare genetic disorder which means that he requires constant feeding through a nasal tube and needs water to dilute medications.

He expressed frustration with Thames Water's response, saying the firm was slow to provide bottled water to residents, especially vulnerable individuals.

He added that other people in the area, including the elderly, were struggling without access to water and that people were writing their concerns on Facebook.

He said: “I've got a very unwell child who is vulnerable and has a rare genetic disorder meaning that he is on a constant feed, and we rely on water for his medication.

“All Thames Water kept saying to me was that they were trying to get to the bottom of the situation, and they didn't have any more water deliveries available in our area.

“I said they're not helping out the vulnerable people, and I saw on Facebook that many others, like those with elderly parents, were also not getting water.

“The service provided by Thames Water is ridiculous, especially for vulnerable people.

“We went to our local Co-op, but they were sold out of bottled water. We had to go to Asda and buy a six-pack of water, which we went through quickly.

“It's not cheap, and with three children at home, every penny counts.”

He explained that his water is now on, but the pressure is at a reduced rate – however many households are still more severely affected.

The issue appears to be affecting SE9 and BR7 including Eltham, Mottingham, New Eltham, Chislehurst, Falconwood, Beckenham, Bromley, Chislehurst, Keston, Orpington, Swanley and West Wickham.

Tankers are now being used to pump water into the area and water from outside the zone is being sent through the pipe network – hoping to improve water pressure in the two postcodes as a temporary fix.

A spokesperson for Thames Water said: “We’re sorry if you’ve been affected by a large burst pipe in Footscray Road, which has caused low pressure and supply interruptions.

“We’ve opened a bottled water station nearby at B&Q Eltham in Footscray Road, SE9 2TD.

“The water is for essential use, like drinking, cooking and hand washing. Please be considerate and don’t take more than you need.

“If you have a neighbour who’s unable to get to the water station, please let us know and we’ll do our best to make sure our limited supplies are fairly handed out.

“We’re using tankers to pump water into the area, as well as bringing in water from outside the area through our pipe network.

“As a result, water pressures have been improving, but we’ll continue to closely monitor this.

“Thank you for your patience while we work to put things right.

“We'll provide more news here once we have further information."

A more recent statement from a Thames Water spokesperson reads: "We are sorry to customers who experienced no water or low water pressure in the SE9 and BR7 postcode area earlier this week. Tankers are in place to keep customers in supply whilst our engineers carry out necessary repairs to our pipework.  

“Should residents be experiencing any problems with their water supply we would encourage them to contact our customer service line on 0800 316 9800 for assistance."